pre-race prep

My second set of xrays for the potential stress fracture in my left shin were clear. YAY! But, I still have swelling. BOO! In order to completely rule out a stress fracture, the sports med doc sent me for an MRI on Tuesday. I expect clearance to run (that is, no stress fracture found) at my final follow up this afternoon.

This is a rather weird, unfamiliar place to be. I know I haven't run (or really worked out in any significant way) in over two and a half weeks and in that time I completely overhauled my diet. Not my typical pre-race behavior because until this week I didn't think there would be a race. Now I have been forced into all the taper time prep – including the mental stuff – in just four days!

I'm reading all the race reports I can find and browsing through course photos to get amped up. I'm not even nervous yet… that's a bit troubling. Maybe I'll feel better when the anxiety kicks in, hmmmm….

I also had to rewrite my race nutrition strategy. I ate a little off plan yesterday; I had some grains and processed food. I thought I was going to fall asleep during the meeting that followed that little snack. I'm not usually tired like that. So now my tried and true foods might not be the best choice but my rewritten food plan is untested in running. What to do?

Well, as I am a scientist at heart, I'm going to err on the side of meaningful experimentation of course! I've replaced my go to race foods with Paleo equivalents and left a few off plan but "cleaner" choice treats in there. In place of GU, I'll be taking in bananas (tested and OK) and sweet potatoes (not yet tested…). In place of energy bars, I will substitute Larabars. Cashew butter will take the place of peanut butter, fruit juice sweetened organic gummy snacks instead of gummy bears, and anything-other-than-potato veggie chips will replace the Lays. I found some really good cane sugar sweetened ginger ale instead of the Canada Dry I had at my last 50 km when my stomach started to complain. And I'm going to run with coconut water in my handheld bottle for the first time (Camelbak still filled with water for main hydration).

What's the worst that could happen? My choices are risk running with foods that I have been eating in quantity for two weeks but are untested during exertion or risk running with foods that I used to rely on quite a bit but will likely be more difficult to digest now. I'm not even sure my leg is going to hold up, because if it's not a stress fracture then no one really knows what is wrong with it!

I've been able to handle new foods just fine on the run and I'm hoping Saturday will not be the first time my strong stomach fails me.

starting... again

I set this blog up almost 18 months ago and have had a few failed starts. This morning I woke up determined to get going here! I think a great deal while I work out and want a place to dump my thoughts. I also want some place to look back at my growth in all things life-related but primarily in running and triathlon.

So, my first post is going to be about the injury that has sidelined my running for possibly the entire fall season. Hmmm...

I started training for the Can Lake 50 Mile road race in the end of July. I worked my butt off (literally!) all summer. I trained during the hottest times of day (during the heat waves!) in an attempt to make my cooling system more efficient. I ran a 50km trial race: the Green Lakes Endurance Run (in a word Awesome, future post about this!). I hit my first 60 mile training week, did back to back 20's, and a 35 mile long run.

Saturday, September 21, I started a 23.8 mile run (with the Rochester Marathon the next day, I would have a 50 mile weekend, the last mental hurdle for me). It was a monsoon-like day in Rochester. Non-stop rain, big fat drops. Honestly, my favorite weather to run in if I'm dressed appropriately, which I was. Hubby, Little One and I drove out to East Rochester to watch Big One's field hockey game. My plan was to run almost home from there (long story involving an over-scheduled family, I'll spare you the details) and I was soaked before I ran a step. Excellent. I situated my Camelbak, stocked with PB&J and some Gu's, buried my phone in a pocket in an effort to keep it dry, and headed on a course towards home.

I was immediately starving. I don't believe this had anything to do with the injury but will note nutrition anyway. I took a Gu within the first mile and promised my grumbling tummy another one in an hour.

The rain kept coming.

About two and a half hours in, I ate my PB&J (it was almost dry, yuck!) and then noticed a twinge in my ankle/top of foot area. It felt like my shoe was tied too tight. I decided I'd adjust the shoe if it got worse or wasn't gone in a half hour. A mistake to wait?

I finally decided to investigate a little more when I started running down a rather large hill, not very steep but a mile or so long. I stopped and loosened the shoe lace. No change. I loosened it again. No change. I tried the numerous ways I know to tie shoes. The only change: the pain got worse every time I started up again. I poked around where I thought the pain was coming from... funny, no pain there. I started poking up my shin and found it. The source was about six inches above my ankle. Uh oh! I finally knew, about four miles after the pain started, that I was dealing with something serious and had to stop right then, 18 miles in. I called Hubby for a ride home.

A few days later, I visited a sports medicine doctor who took x-rays, called it a possible stress fracture (I wasn't completely convinced) and put me on crutches for a week or two. That was nine days ago.

I had been pain-free for three days so I ditched the crutches yesterday. At noon, all was still well and I hit the company gym for a 30 minute express cycle class. I did not risk leaving the saddle to climb but that didn't really matter. Did it feel good to sweat!

My next visit to the doc, with repeat x-rays, is next week. He ought to be able to rule out a stress fracture at that time. Until then, I'll add a little non-impact activity each day and monitor for symptoms.

Can Lake is in eight days. There's a tiny chance I can still run. Tiny. But that's better than nothing.